Iran to play Nigeria, Costa Rica in March friendlies
Iran will face Nigeria and Costa Rica during the upcoming international break in March, Amir-Mahdi Alavi, spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation, announced on Monday night.
The two matches, scheduled to be played in Amman, Jordan, form part of Iran’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11.
Team Melli will play Nigeria on March 27 before meeting Costa Rica four days later, Alavi said.
The announcement follows months of difficulty for the federation in arranging high-profile friendlies for the national team. Neither Nigeria nor Costa Rica qualified for the World Cup in North America.
Nigeria finished runner-up to South Africa in its qualification group before losing on penalties to DR Congo in the second round of the playoffs last November.
The prospect of facing Athletico striker Ademola Lookman and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen, however, could provide a proper test for the Iranian backline.
Costa Rica finished third in its third-round group in the CONCACAF region, failing to qualify for the finals for the first time since the 2010 tournament.
Iran has been drawn in a group with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. Under the expanded format, three teams from each group will advance to the round of 32.
With less than four months remaining until the tournament, Iran faces a series of challenges ahead of its opening match against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 15, including concerns over potential visa issues for members of the squad and efforts to secure additional high-level friendlies.
Iran had been in advanced talks to face Spain in March or June, but Alavi said negotiations between the two sides had collapsed.
“The contract was on the verge of being finalized before they suddenly withdrew from negotiations,” Alavi told state television. “Everything had been agreed, including the match time and venue, before they informed us they could not play the match.
“They told us they would be available during the September international break, although our intention was to arrange the match as part of our World Cup preparations.”